The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-09-21
NERVY GEORGE SLOAN.
A Men Who Went to Texas a Giant in
Sueb 9Th and Fearless as a Lion,
New York Sun,

Away back in the sixties I was fnan-
cially interested in two or three Texas en-
terprises with man named Geo. Sloan.
That was his right name, but in many 10.
calities in Texas he was known only as
'Nervy George" / have seen a great
many statements concerning his adven-
lures in print, but all more or less exag.
serated. Some of the adventures which
came about while we were in company
will give to the press for the first time.
Sloan was an Ohio boy, and / made his &C.
oman. tabce anu We cnummed 10 the Ander-
soIvllle prison pen. We went West together
after the war, and at that time he was only
q years cd. He was feet Z inches high,
weighed 100 pounds, and was the strongest
man ever saw outside OF professional
wrestler or cannon ball tosser. His flesh
was 70 bard that he could crack q walnut
on his leg. On two or three occasions
knew him to break the bones In a mans
hand by a single grip. He took no train
ing of any sort. bat the strength and rug
eedness were I'm to him. as if not sat-
isfied IN mahi' y him a young Hercules,
nature gave hir the most wonderful nerve
and courage. fF9 once told nae that he
would give 500 10 realize for five minutes
what fear was. I saw him in some of the
hottest places man could get into, and
never saw him falter or hesitate or make
mistake in doing just the right thing.
TOUGH scRAPE IN DALLAS.
One afternoon, after we had finished up
some business in Dallas and were ready to
go, we entered saloon for a parting nip.
1t was full OF gamblers, cowboys and rough
characters generally, and every man wore
revolver IN plain sight. We Were sip
ping our drink when a burly big ruffian,
who was fighter from way back. inten-
tionally fell against Sloan with considera-
bic force, and then stood off and leered at
him, and then said:
'I'm waiting fur ye to ak my parding
fur that, banty."
Sloan never carried a weapon of any SORT
while in town. He looked the big fellow
over in a cool and quiet way, and finally
said:
did you intend to insult me, sirr'
"Insult YET" echoed the other. "Who
talks of insults2 Why, ye little game cock
from somebody's barn yard, I'll give ye
two minutes to git down on your knees to
me-"
If you do not beg my pardon before
finish this glass, replied George, 81 will
make wreck OF you"
by this time everybody in the saloon
had CT DIVIDE d around us, and it was easy to
see we had no friends there. There was
something in Sloan's eve and tone which
cautioned the big fellow, and ii left to
himself he would have retired from the
scrape. But he was egged on and braced
up by the crowd, who ached to see q row,
and he stepped back little, drew his re-
volver and growled:
Nov, banty, get down on your marrow
bones, or you'll take dose of lead"
Sloan leaned on the bar with his elbow
and slipped his wine slowly, paying no
| further attention to anyone. He was per-
| baps a minute and a half finishing his
| glass, and during the last half minute he
was covered by the mans revolver. When
| be set the glass down he wiped off his
mouth, returned the handkerchief, and then
| turned and advanced upon the ruffian.
The man fred point blank at his head, cut
| off a lock of hair, and the bullet killed the
bartender. Before he could fire sgain
George seized him, one hand on his throat
and the other on his knee, lifted him high
| in the air and held him thus for ten Sec
onds. Then he gave the body fling upon
some whisky barrels ten feet away. 1t was
| an asto nishiDg feat of strength, and the
silence of death fell upon the room. When
it was broken II was by man who had
| tiptoed over the barrels to look at the
rrfian, and who hoarsely whispered:
Great heavens! Tom is dead as q
| fisbn
So be was. The iron fingers had choked
the life out of him as he was held alott,
| and when he struck the barrel, almost
every bone in his body was broken.
George stood there for two or three min
utes looking from one to the other, and
| then asked:
"Doesany body else want me to go down
| on my knees?"
Never man replied never a hand was
fitted, as we went slowly out.and mounted
cur horses and rode away unmolested.
ONE OF THE NERvIEsT THINGS
In Sloan's career happened at Navasots, on
| the Bra EOS river. We were sitting on the
veranda of the hotel when a fighter
entered the village on horseback. Armed
| with a Winchester and two revolvers, he
took drink or two and then started in to
capture The town. There was only one
street and he rode up and down this at full
| gallop, firing right and left and uttering
/ terrific wells, In five minutes he had the
town. People disappeared from sight and
everybody was thoroughly cowed. The
| fellow fired two shots among the sitters on
| the verands, and we stampeded. l own
| ouaintance with the ruffian, aud
l was among the first to seek cover.
| When we were all inside 1 peered eau
tiously from window and saw Sloan still
: outside. He was on his feet, leaning
| sgainst a column of the veranda, and
smoking cigar as cody as you please. l
shouted for him to come in, but he shook
| dis Dtdus Appcd1c HcIo mdQO W OlACAof
| but he turned deaf ear. The cowboy had
by this time reached the lower end OF the
street, and turned to come back. He came
at gallop, but checked his horse in front
OF the hotel and fired three shots at Sloan,
from q distance of fifty feet. The first
tipped past his ear, the other two cut
cloth without drawing blood. We were
looking full at the shooter from the win
dows and as he fred his third shot with
out bringing his man q look of wonder
came to his face, and he shouted:
"Who are you, man or devilr
George sauntered along to the steps,
alowly assembled and approached the man.
and as he came near enough ha grabbed
for HIM. Next instant the cowboy was
pulled off his horse and being literally
mopped all over the road. He tried to use
q weapon, but was disarmed with scarcely
an effort, and when George got through
with him be lay as one dead. Rifle, re-
volvers ar knife were broken and flung in
heap besides, and George sat down on the
steps to finish his smoke. He had kept his
cigar alight through the fracas. / person
ally interviewed the doctor who was called
to see the cowboy, and he gave me list OF
the injuries as follows:
Left arm broken. thumb on right baud
broken, three scalp wounds, right shoulder
probably dislocated, three teeth Knocked
out, five bad bruises on various parts,
one eye closed.
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